Automobile lock



Jan. 29, 1924. 1,481,929

N. A. PRESTON AUTOMOBILE LOCK Filed Aug. 18, 1920 Mom W43 Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

ATNT ts NORMAN A. PRESTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y;

AUTOMOBILE LOCK.

Application filed August 18, 1920. Serial No. 404,360.

Locks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, illustrative of one particular embodiment of my invention.-

This invention relates to what is termed the locking of automobiles, to prevent their being used without authority. The locking of automobiles has involved locks for disconnecting the supply of fuel to the engine, or locking of the transmission or lockingof the steering gear, and innumerable methods in a Variety of forms,in every case there being more or less objection to the efficiency of the device or the method.

My invention relates to the locking of the steering gear, and in particular locking the steering post or controlling the steering rod 25 in a manner and by means or" great advantage and simplicity. In the particular form herein shown, a tilting steering hand wheel, which of necessity is in normal posi tion locked to the steering post to turn it, is so arranged and associated with parts that in the out-of-action position the same substantial parts used for steering afford means for locking the steering post against rotation to such extent as to prevent unauthorized use of the car. In particular, the rotation is prevented in the form shown by engagement of the steering wheel spider with a non-revoluble member suitably attached to the housing of the steering column, with associated means to hold the spider in the locking position, such additional means involving what is usually known as the locking partssubject-to control by a key of any usual safety construe locked position.

The particular form herein described, is

a tilting steering wheel which when down,

or out of action engages a lug clamp on thesteering column, non-revoluble to the extent required for my object and a tumbler lock adapted in the most accessible position relative to the driver, to project a bolt or bolts to hold the spider in the locked position.

wheel and column with lock attached the steering column.

Fig, I is a side elevation of steering Fig. II is a side view of a locking mechanism.

Fig. III is a plan view of a locking mechanism;

Fig. IV is a section of a locking mechanism on line iof Fig. 11. i

The steering wheel 1 has the spider with the arms 2 2 and 2, andthe bifurcated hub members 2 with parallel opposed sides and the crotch 2 at the bifurcation of the arm 2". v

A tilting support arm 3 has a hub 3, and is pivoted at t to the spider arm 2 while latch fingers 5 operate the usual latch release contained in a cap .6 attached to the hub 3 with [spring latch members adapted to lock the spider hub members 2? in rigid steering position.

The tilting support arm hub 3 is rigidly attached to the steering post Z, contained inside of the housin 8 the u oer end of a 7 Pl the housing 8 being recessed into the spider tilting arm hub 8% The lower end of the housing 8 is rigidly attached to a steering gear housing 9, and the-steering. post 7 passes through the housing into and connects with suitable gearing in any usual manner, to operate the steering gear sup ported in or on the steering gear housing 9, which latter is rigidly supported to some frame members or" the chassis of an automobile. The lock mechanism 10 may be variously embodied, but in the particular form shown it comprises the two parts 1l12 held together bythe screw bolt 13 on one side and screw bolt Mon-the other side, after the two parts havingcach a complementary recess 1515 are clamped around the upper end of the housing 8 at the upper end of Within the complementary recesses a stud 16, or several studs,

are provided to engage the lock bracket 10 and engage a hole or recess of desired size in the'housing 8, but do not penetrate therethrough to any extent that would in terfere with the turning of the steering post 7 and donot serve anypurpose of locking the housing andthe post together directly,- such stud 0r studs hold the lock bracket 10 rigidly against revolving and permit only the predetermined limits of turning on the steering housing. Twolocking bolts l7-*17 reciprocate in bearings in the respective parts 11 and .12. The inner end of .17 has a grooved wheel '18, and the inner end of 17 carries,and may have a beveled head 19 and under-the h'ead a springgQO contained in a recess in the locking mechanism side 12. Lock tumblers of any suitable form are supported at 21 to be engaged by key 22, and serve to operate a stud-shaft 23, having cams 261-25 each, respectively, engaging groove 18 and the beveled head, 19 on the locking bolts 17 and 17*. These locking bolts 17 and 17 project from the opposite sides of locking mechanism 10, which sides fit closely between the opposed faces.22 ot' the bifurcated hub of the steering wheel spider, so that the bifurcated tilting spider passes freely over the sides of the locking mechanism 10 with a close clearance so that the projecting of the locking, bolts 17 and 17 will engage, the bifurcated arms 2 2 and hold the spider, and, therefore, the steering wheel in the tilted position out. of place for normal operation. These locking bolts may be positionedon the lock 10 so that they will project into recesses on the inner faces of the bifurcated spider arm 2 "-2f so that the locking bolts will; be blind'iand be free from tampering to injure the lock or release the steering wheel from.

its out-of-action position. The cam 2'3 may bein'odlfied, and may fill the entire space between the two heads of the locking bolts. tor

which bolt 1'7 may have a cooperating beV-- eled head.

While the form herein particularly shown comprises the two-part casing 10, and the bolts holding the same together may be lock bolts to prevent removal, the bifurcated spider arm when passed over and locked in apositi'on' on either side. of" the locking clamp, serves to hold the two parts together, andpthereby hold the locking mechanism rigidly attached to the steering column housing. and in turn prevent the rotation of the steering wheel andspider around. the housing beyond the degree desired, which in turn locks the steering post against any rotation which. would permit practical driving of the car. The mechanism bolt 13 holding thetwo parts together on the steering column housing18. is preferably sO- positioned that when .the steering, wheel spider is in the. locked position. the spider arms cover the bolt 13, thereby preventing access to the bolt and preventing tampering or removal. However; the twoparts ofthe .locle ing' mechanism housing may be stampings with one edge suitably fashioned so that the two 'partsinterlock on one side of the steeringcolummand whenzbrought into fixed positionxa single bolt like 13 looks the other side and holdsthe entire locking mechanism in rigid or the desirednon-rotatable relation; with the steerin'g" column housing.

As shown, the steering wheel'l' tilts in themanner provided by construction now in use, into" the position 1, so that the bifurcated spider members take the position 2?" and these. bifurcated spider members being tilted at pivot 4 to the tilting support arm 8, which in turn is rigidly fastened to the upper end of the steering post 7, result in a rigid locking of the steering post 7 to the lock block 10 which is non-rotatably secured to the housing 8, thereby preventing relative turning of the steering post beyond the predetermined limit with respect to the housing. This locking against rotation is eitected by the robust structural parts of the steering wheeland spider and the actual strain to prevent rotation is therefore resisted in a most etf'ective manner, and the locking against unauthorized operation of the steering connections of the automobile is provided by the lock bolt which simply holds'the parts ettecting the resistance against motionin the position presen ing the normal operation for driving of the car.

It will thus be seen that a usual form of tilting steering wheel which is swung outot' position by the simple release by the latches 5, affords the desired accessibility provided by tilting wheels, but in addition: aflords the double purpose due to the presence of the nonrevolubl'e element attached to the steering column housing, of locking the wheel when in the tilted. position, with the further element of a. suitable individual, control lock member to hold the tilted wheelv in the locked position.

Suggestions have been madeinvolving the projection of a locking bolt through. the steering column, penetrating'the walls of the housing and. steering; post or projecting into a solid steering post, but the large leverage of the steering. hand-wheel is such that unauthorized attempts to use the automobile, effect a great strain and can readily damage the steering housing or the post or sheer the locking bolt when it is the sole source for the attempt to, loclt' these members together. Furthermore, dependinguponsuch a bolt in the manner just described, the jarringot an automobile ma g'v cause involuntary locking of' the parts, which in the case of rapid driving; involves the obvious great danger of a lockingof' the entire steeringgear when the car is in motion, with the chance of very dangerous results.

Various modifications may be made with respectto detail of construction,and the invention may be varied to meet the requirements of other forms of steering, handwheelarrangement and. other tilting wheels besides that herein particularly shown and described,but what I'claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Locking means for an automobile,- means comprising a tiltingsteering wheel; solid rim. aud a, trams therefor, a fixed use i tilted position and a lock for holding said frame in engagement with the lug.

2. A tilting steering wheel and a frame member associated therewith and adapted to connect with and revolve a steering post, a housing associated with said steering post, a bifurcated frame member supporting wheel and pivoted to the'member connected with the post, a locking lug clamped on said housing and means to limit the rotation thereon and adapted to be embraced by en gagement on both sides by said bifurcated frame when the steering wheel is in tilted position, an individual means to control the disengagement of said bifurcated member from said lug. V

3. A steering wheel locking device comprising a non-revoluble lug adaptably secured to the steering column housing, comprising two complementary parts clamping from either side of the housing, a bolt to secure said parts and locking bolts "and key controlled locking mechanism adapted to laterally project the locking bolts.

4. A steering gear locking mechanism' comprising a tilting steering,whe el=includ-' ing a spider, a steering post housing, a

locking lug clamped to a predetermined relative revolub-ility about said housingand adapted to be embraced on opposite sides by a bifurcated portion of said spider, an assembly bolt for said lug positioned whereby the same is covered by said bifurcated spider member when in tilted position and means for locking the spider bifurcated member by key control in its position embracing the lug.

5. A steering wheel for automobiles comprising a frame rigidly supporting a hand wheel, a steering shaft and a radial arm rigidly secured thereto, a pivot on said arm remote from the shaft engaging a pivot bearing on a bifurcated member of said frame, a non-revolvable housing surrounding the shaft, a lug adapted to be clamped around and removable from said housing, and arms on the bifurcated member of said hand wheel frame embracing in the tilted position said lug to prevent its removal from the housing.

6. A steering wheel mechanism comprising a steering shaft, a surrounding stationary housing, a radial arm rigidly attached to the shaft end, a spider hinged to said arm and supporting an integral hand wheel, a bifurcated. member embodied in said spider and adapted to engage the steering shaft to turn the same when the Wheel is in operative position and when hinged on said radial arm to engage the opposite sides, of a lug, a two-faced lug clamped prising a steeringshaft and a non-revolvable housing surrounding the same, a

spider,a pivot for said spider on one side of the axis of the steering shaft, a bifurhinged hand wheel with integral rim and cated member on said spider extendingfrom said pivot to a pointon the opposite side of the steering'shaft whereby the bifurcation laterally engages the hub von 'the steering shaft end and alternately swinging on the pivot laterally engages the I housing, a non-revolvable block clamped to said housing and positioned to engage said bifurcated member when the wheel is. in tilted position.

8. In a steering wheel for motor cars and the like, an integral hand wheel and spider,

a tilting pivot support for said spider in proximity to the rim, a steering shaft and a block on the end thereofrfor engagement with the spider, a block of'similar'lateral conformation non-revolublv supported in proximity to theVsha-ft and adapted to be engaged by said, spider member alternately with the block on the shaftend, and means block. e

9. "In combination with a tilting steering hand wheel forautomobiles,a housing for" the steerino shaft, a locking lug-adapted to be clamped to said housing in proximity to the hand wheel, a bifurcated part of said hand wheel symmetrically disposed on either side lateral of the axis of the steering shaft housing and adapted to laterally engage said locking lug when the wheel is in tilted position.

10. A locking lug for a tilting steering wheel having a bifurcated portion disposed symmetrically on either side of the plane passing through the tilting pivot and the steering shaft axis, comprising two complementary parts adapted to be laterally clamped to a steering post housing, means to prevent rotation of said locking lug on the housing and means of engagement with the tilting wheel to hold said locking lug against displacement from the housing.

11. A locking lug for a tilting steering wheel comprising two complementary parts adapted to be laterally secured. to a steering post housing, a member adapted to clamp said two parts in fixed position, means to prevent the revolving of said lug, lateral faces to engage the tilting steering wheel, a bifurcated part on said steering wheel co-acting with said lateral faces and covering the clamping member of said twopart lug-whereby when in tilted position said lug is held against displacementfrom Jul 

